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Story - I don't know if I'm just stupid or what, but I was really bloomin' confused by this issue. I mean, I enjoyed it, but not really sure why, and I don't even really know what happened.

Leonid chats with Leonardo Da Vinci, who spews out a lot of nigh-incomprehensible buzzword speak, which sounded fucking cool and interesting, but I'm not even sure if it actually is. We had some weird backstory for Leonid, where he's with alien lizards, and a Light Man, and a Dark Man and something else.

Leonid and Leonardo chat some more, and for some reason there's a page with just their dialogue. Did Dustin Weaver forget to draw that page or was there some reasoning behind it? It seems that the current Shield hierarchy are not living up to Da Vinci's high standards and he wants to bring them back to the right way. The end.

Wha? Huh?

I'm not going to say that this was a bad comic, as I said I enjoyed it, but it made little to no sense, almost every line of dialogue brought up a new massively significant high concept, and there was still very little character development of anyone, Leonid remains as dull as Hal Jordan here.

I mean, it's a lot of fun, and it seems very clever, but at this point to me, this book is all surface, all style, no substance. You've got all these out there proclamations about the Human Machine, and change, and the Forever Man and 'global projections of ideology', which all sound great... but I don't particularly care. Maybe I'm in the wrong frame of mind here, but something's missing which I can't quite put my finger on. I'm willing to stick around though, because this book is a fun ride, and I am truly hoping that by the time Hickman wraps this whole thing up, the gobbledegook that Da Vinci is mouthing off on will retroactively make sense. But at this point, I'm just looking at the thing, bemused, confused, and slightly scared. Yet I still had a good time. An odd one.

Art - Dustin Weaver is pretty great, aside from the random page of just dialogue, I love his work, and think this run will make him a star. Christina Strain's colours are also due some props, she really adds a lot to Weaver's pencils. Even if the story befuddled me, I can still look at the pretty pictures.

Best Line - 'This is what I do Leonid. I see the structure of things and how best to make them work. I am an Architect of everything'.

I fully expect to hear this comic called pretentious and perhaps confusing. After all it introduces a lot of concepts without fleshing them out, characters refer to events we've never seen, and comes with not one but two delightfully cryptic prophecies. It does all this with aplomb though and the pace never lets up. While issue 1 spanned centuries issue 2 takes place in real time lasting no more than ten minutes at most. We have more action taking place in the now and the immediacy really works in SHIELD's favour, allowing Hickman to get away with one of his special text pages without destroying the book's flow. The speed of the book disguises how much information we're given and as the status quo from issue 1 is already having holes poked in it it becomes clear that this is something special.

The art is as gorgeous as it was before, with an amazing spread of the immortal city and a stunning page featuring a lot of Nathaniel Richardses particularly worthy of praise. Dustin Weaver is going to make his name with SHIELD and I really hope the book can keep him with Hickman for some time.

Arguably even better than the incredible first issue, SHIELD will turn Hickman and Weaver from a future greats to big name talents that Marvel has done very well to grab early.

Despite my Archie comment last night, that's what I was going to pick. I had actually been planning to pick it for several weeks. Sadly it's not on Diamond or Midtown's list so I'm left with few options.

I thought about picking Rebels because it looks like something I might enjoy if I got into it, but it doesn't look new reader friendly and I keep thinking I'll pick up the first volume eventually.

I thought about doing a poll and putting the decision off on the people, but after going through the shipping list I didn't see the point. I never watched Darkwing Duck or Batman Beyond so both of the cartoon books starting this week are even less appealing than what was going to win the poll anyway.

Find out who the New Avengers are, where they call home (gotta see it to believe it!), which Dark Avenger has joined their ranks, and just who the interdimensional demonic threat to our existence is! These heroes have gathered to take on the threats too dark, too dangerous, and too bizarre for any other team of heroes. The New Avengers are back!! And Bendis & Immonen are back with the Siege & Secret Invasion colorista Laura Martin!! You didn't really think Marvel was going to cancel their number one ongoing title did you? Heck no!! Backup feature: Another brand new oral history of the Avengers chapter by Bendis! Rated A …$3.99

The comic scared Punchy!
That is the most awesome thing ever.
The text page is an old pre-marvel Hickman tool. Instead of giving you a couple of pages of boring dialogue and talking heads - you get one page of the text alone.

thefourthman wrote:The comic scared Punchy!That is the most awesome thing ever.The text page is an old pre-marvel Hickman tool. Instead of giving you a couple of pages of boring dialogue and talking heads - you get one page of the text alone.

I reread my review of issue 1, I remember scoring it rather high but still had the idea that this book would have a lot of trouble finding it's way and they probably wouldn't translate to a good monthly reading. Which is why I said I would buy the trade. Well having read this issue it has completely turned me off. The art is still gorgeous and the page of dialogue was alright but it sure isn't going to connect with many people myself included, not because it didn't have more pretty pictures, but because it didn't make sense. Which is what the book is quickly approaching. The book made no sense and that's putting it lightly. As Punch put it so well this book is no substance it's all high fluff but no point to it. If this is going to Marvels Planetary they made a very wrong turn and put out a truly inferior product.

4

doombug wrote:You really are the george carlin of the outhouse. that's fucking hilarious.

doombug wrote:and yeah, Yoni called it.

I feel like a condemned building with a brand new flag pole.- Les Paul

Story - I don't know if I'm just stupid or what, but I was really bloomin' confused by this issue. I mean, I enjoyed it, but not really sure why, and I don't even really know what happened.

Leonid chats with Leonardo Da Vinci, who spews out a lot of nigh-incomprehensible buzzword speak, which sounded fucking cool and interesting, but I'm not even sure if it actually is. We had some weird backstory for Leonid, where he's with alien lizards, and a Light Man, and a Dark Man and something else.

Leonid and Leonardo chat some more, and for some reason there's a page with just their dialogue. Did Dustin Weaver forget to draw that page or was there some reasoning behind it? It seems that the current Shield hierarchy are not living up to Da Vinci's high standards and he wants to bring them back to the right way. The end.

Wha? Huh?

I'm not going to say that this was a bad comic, as I said I enjoyed it, but it made little to no sense, almost every line of dialogue brought up a new massively significant high concept, and there was still very little character development of anyone, Leonid remains as dull as Hal Jordan here.

I mean, it's a lot of fun, and it seems very clever, but at this point to me, this book is all surface, all style, no substance. You've got all these out there proclamations about the Human Machine, and change, and the Forever Man and 'global projections of ideology', which all sound great... but I don't particularly care. Maybe I'm in the wrong frame of mind here, but something's missing which I can't quite put my finger on. I'm willing to stick around though, because this book is a fun ride, and I am truly hoping that by the time Hickman wraps this whole thing up, the gobbledegook that Da Vinci is mouthing off on will retroactively make sense. But at this point, I'm just looking at the thing, bemused, confused, and slightly scared. Yet I still had a good time. An odd one.

Art - Dustin Weaver is pretty great, aside from the random page of just dialogue, I love his work, and think this run will make him a star. Christina Strain's colours are also due some props, she really adds a lot to Weaver's pencils. Even if the story befuddled me, I can still look at the pretty pictures.

Story: 5Art: 8My Score: 6.5

I couldn't come up with anything that Punchy already hadn't said. And I'm getting ready for my vacation in Florida. So yes, I cheated this week. I just don't like this series. Sorry.

Max Blyss wrote:Months and months and months and the whole thing is still just an intersection at Dipshit Lane & Chip on my Shoulder Ave.